NedCan Winterfeast
by Little Miss Fangirl
Summary: Done for the NedCan Winterfeast on tumblr. Final chapter: New Year. What better way to start one than with a splash? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm joining in on this Winter Feast thingie from tumblr, wohoo! Don't expect any award winning pieces though, I'm too much of a goofball for that. And I don't think I'll be doing all the prompts. I will try to post the corresponding prompts on the corresponding dates. But you should be able to get at least a few chuckles and hopefully some warm and fuzzy feelings out of these. So without further ado, enjoy my silly writings :D.

**Warnings** **overall**: Johan and Matt being adorkable/silly/awesome/cute. That's pretty much it. And unless my plotbunnies decide to play along my stories will pretty much be short and sweet.

**Disclaimer:** Alas, still not mine. *sadface*

* * *

**Prompt 1: First snow**

When Matthew decided he wanted to spend Christmas with Johan instead of his own family this year, he had already given up on the idea of first snow and a white Christmas. He knows that the winters in the Netherlands consist out of either strong winds, heavy rainfall, or Johan's personal favorite, strong winds in combination with a heavy rainfall. Lightning storms optional. Johan had even warned him beforehand that not even he could remember the last time it snowed in his own place and that it wasn't too late for him to come to Canada instead. But Matthew insisted, and boy, did he regret it. He had been in Amsterdam for a week now, and it had been raining non-stop. Don't get him wrong, he absolutely loved the fact that he was with Johan who gave him his undivided attention, but the grey skies and the waterworks were really getting to him. No wonder Johan's (and Arthur's too, now that he thinks about it) default attitudes were stuck on grouchy. It was a miracle Johan somehow never seemed to lose his smile around him. But then again, he does always refer to Matthew as his own Canadian bundle of honey blond sunshine.

Blushing a bit at the memory of that remark he took a look outside the window. Was he seeing things? He quickly rubbed his eyes and looked again. He wasn't seeing things! It finally stopped raining! He jumped up from the couch, said a small thank you prayer to the weather gods and rushed outside the door. By now the clouds were slowly drifting apart, showing the blue sky. Matthew reached his arms outwards, spinning around in the front yard. He almost stopped when he felt a strong hand grabbing his own, but after seeing that it was Johan who decided to join in on his impromptu dance he continued.

"Please don't tell me that we're doing a rain dance now, Matt," he said with a grin. Matt grinned back.

"Well, you do look mighty fine with water pouring down on you," he said, leaning in for a small kiss. Johan smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around him. After a while he broke the kiss, and looked Matthew in his eyes. "If you want to see me wet that bad we just take a shower together."

"Oh, I am really tempted. But I've had enough wetness to last me for a lifetime. Maybe next week."

"No showers for a week? That's so dirty! I like it."

"You're impossible."

"I try," he said with a wink. "Seriously though. I finally found the herbs you were asking for. Let's get dinner started, there's a place I want to take you afterwards."

"Oh? Let me guess, you want to go swimming. Or surfing. Or scuba diving!"

"Great, the water finally got to your brain. I should probably tie you to the ceiling upside down so the water can leak out."

* * *

"So, you're still not telling me where we are going?"

"Nope."

"And why am I blindfolded again?"

"Because I'm kinky like that."

"And here I thought your kink stayed in the bedroom," he said, trying to keep his laughter in check. After finishing dinner and cleaning up Johan asked Matthew to get dressed. When he put on his shoes and buttoned up his coat he felt Johan put on blindfold over his eyes, grabbing him by the hand afterwards and leading him outside. They had been walking for about thirty minutes now when Johan finally stopped and pulled the blindfold off. Matthew blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision. He looked around, recognizing the park they usually barbecued at when the weather allowed it. He turned to face Johan, a confused look in his eyes.

"Okay, we're at the park. Alone. With nothing but a crescent moon and a clear night sky for company. So what's the plan exactly?"

"This," he answered after pulling out some sort of remote control from his pocket and pressed the button. The sound of a small engine starting was heard, and shortly after snow began falling from the sky. Matthew couldn't believe his eyes. He slowly took a few steps forward, reaching out a hand to catch some snowflakes. Johan watched him with a content smile on his face, enjoying the fact that his little plan seemed to do the trick. Matthew turned to face him again, flashing him the biggest smile he had ever seen on his face. He jumped into Johan's arms, pulling him into tight hug.

"I can't believe you got me snow," he whispered, tightening his grip. Johan let out a little smile, returning the hug.

"After taking all the shitty weather without complaining you deserved something nice. And according to the all-knowing internet Canadians love nothing more than snow."

"How did you even pull this off?"

"As long as I'm within the Kingdom of the Netherlands I can pretty much do whatever I please. And thanks to modern technology that includes manipulating the weather."

"You actually managed to stop the rain?!"

"No, that was just the storm leaving for England. It's Arthur's problem now, haha. I meant the snow. Fortunately it won't be raining the rest of the month, but unfortunately it won't freeze or snow either. So a snowmachine was the next best thing."

"Unbelievable. This has got to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you so much." He said, leaning in for a kiss.

"Think nothing of it, Matt." He replied after breaking the kiss, pulling him close to his chest. "Anything to see you smile."

* * *

**A/N:** That's it for this prompt. Matt missed the snow, Johan (being the observant, sweet guy that he is) got him some. And after frolicking in the fake snow and making snow angels and snowmen and all that good stuff they went home and then Johan got some too * winkwinknudgenudge*. And I seriously can't remember the last time it snowed here during winter. I remember it snowing in April once, though. That was weird. Anyway.

Hope you enjoyed my take on this prompt. I can already tell you that I'm drawing a blank with the next two prompts (warm and cold), so the next prompt I'll be using is food. As always, reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings: **Talks about a certain Dutch winterfood that looks like shit but damn, does it hit the spot on cold/rainy days. And it tastes absolutely ahmaaayzhiiing! :D

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**Prompt 2: Food**

"Is my spoon supposed to be able to stand up straight?"

"Yes it does."

"And you're sure it's supposed to look like... uhm... eh..."

"I know it kinda looks like someone puked into the bowl, but it's supposed to look like that. Trust me."

"Eww, Johan! Do you have to say it like that?!"

Matthew was already hesitant about the whole thing, but he definitely wasn't going to try it now. He reluctantly eyed the so called 'soup' in the bowl again. It was a thick, green stew made of split peas, filled with little pieces of smoked sausage and bacon. It was served with a few slices of rye bread on the side, which also had strips of smoked bacon on top of them. To be honest it didn't smell bad, but it just looked so... well... okay, it really does look like someone puked into the bowl. Yuck.

Johan couldn't help but smile a little when he saw Matthew shudder. He stood up from his seat and walked towards Matt, bending forward a bit to look into his eyes.

"You know I wouldn't let you try it if I wasn't absolutely sure you would like it, right?"

"I know," he said with a sigh. He looked up from his bowl, locking eyes with Johan. His seagreen eyes were a lot more pleasant to look at, especially when they would light up in anticipation. He looked so happy and eager, almost like a puppy. Puppy Johan, d'aww...

"Your cheeks are starting to match your hoodie, Matt. Penny for your thougts?" Johan said, trying not to laugh. Matt just looked away, trying to hide his blush while cursing his overactive imagination under his breath. _'Oh, screw it!'_ he thought. He straightened his back, grabbed his spoon, filled it up with plenty of the green goo, closed his eyes, said a quick prayer and shoved the spoon in his mouth.

It tasted... pretty good, actually. It had a porridge-like structure, but it was also chewy and crispy thanks to the sausage and bacon. After savoring this newfound taste for a bit he swallowed it down and opened his eyes. Johan was standing next to him, that eager look still in his eyes.

"Well?" He asked.

"Well," Matthew started before grabbing a slice of bread and taking a bite out of it. After washing it down with some water he turned his attention to Johan again. "That was absolutely amazing." He said with a smile. Johan smiled back.

"I told you so. Have a little more faith in my cooking, will you?"

"Hey, you yourself said it looked like someone barfed, remember?"

"I never said Dutch cuisine was easy on the eyes. It's meant to be comfortfood." He replied.

"Doesn't mean that you can't dress it up a bit," he said with a wink. Johan rolled his eyes at that. "I keep forgetting that Francis spoiled you with his over the top cooking."

"Maybe, haha. But your cooking sure did hit the spot though."

He grabbed his spoon again and continued his meal. Johan looked on in amazement when Matthew asked for a second and even third bowl. When they were done eating (4-2 in favor of Matthew) and cleaned the dishes Johan wanted to grab some dessert, but after seeing him sprawled out on the couch he decided against it. The poor guy was carefully rubbing his slightly bulging stomach. Johan made his way to the couch, carefully lifting Matthews head a bit so he could sit down himself. After he was settled he put Matthews head on his lap, stroking his hair.

"Why did you let me eat so much? I think I'm gonna throw up." he whined.

"I did want to stop you, but I was seriously afraid that you'd eat me along with the soup." He said with a smile as he continued playing with Matt's hair.

"Good point. You'll make me some more tomorrow, right?"

"And here I thought you couldn't even stand the thought of it anymore."

"I'm willing to suck it up for food that good."

"You're starting to sound like an addict, Matt. Maybe I should reconsider on making you some Hete Bliksem tomorrow."

"Hayteh what now?"

"Two parts potato, one part sour apples, one part sweet apples or pears and one part onions, served with blood sausage. Variations include adding either ham or bacon into the mix."

"Holy crap that sounds amazing. I want that. And the soup too."

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh! And that pudding like dessert that isn't really pudding! Vla, right? That too."

"Hoo boy. Nice going, Johan. You've created a monster."

* * *

**A/N:** And then they spent the rest of the night on the couch, with Matt asking for more food to try out and Johan trying to talk him out of it. But of course he can't say no to Matt, so he made all that and then the two of them couldn't move for a few hours.

The soup is called erwtensoep or snert. For more info and pics, Google pea soup. Wikipedia has an entire section on the stuff in English. And I tried to find an English site about vla too, but the closest thing I got was that it apparently resembles custard. But it's not custard. Dammit, how to explain. It's just vla. It's also amazing. Try it if you're ever visiting here. You won't regret it. Scouts honor.

Enough promoting Dutch food. Hope you enjoyed this story, and as always, reviews are very much appreciated :D.


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings:** Weird headcanons of mine about the scarf. Margot is Belgium.

* * *

**Prompt: Scarf **

"I can't believe you managed to talk that guy into selling you that leather jacket at half price," Matthew said, a slightly jealous undertone in his voice. He took a sip of his hot chocolate, watching Johan admire his latest purchase in the window of the café they were sitting at. A beautiful, camel colored leather jacket, with a removable fake-fur collar. It fit perfectly with the washed out jeans and red plaid shirt he was wearing. Seriously, all he needs now is a three day beard, suspenders, a wool hat, an ax over his shoulder and he could pass for one of his many lumberjacking countrymen.

"You know me, Matt. I'm good with my mouth, hehe," he said with a wink, removing the jacket. Matthew cheeks flared up at that remark, and he tried to hide it by staring into his chocolate. Johan let out a chuckle before putting the jacket back into the bag, and took a sip of his own hot chocolate. "You did pretty good yourself, though. Every lady you bought something from gave you something extra. I think I even saw a couple of them throwing in their phone numbers." The red on Matthews cheeks deepened some more.

"They did not. Okay, maybe two of them did. Why didn't you tell them I was already involved?"

"Six of them did. And why didn't you tell them?" He retorted with a sly smirk.

"W-well I… uh, b-because… eh…" he stammered, rubbing the back of his head. Johan couldn't help but laugh at Matt's internal dilemma. He could just see the thoughts he was having right now. _'I absolutely loved the attention I got, but I completely forgot that Johan was standing next to me all that time. What must he think of me now, flirting with others when he's around?! I'm the worst boyfriend ever! Oh God, I'm an adulterer, argh!'_ He decided to end Matt's worries before he would go to a priest and confess his so-called sin. His hand reached over the table and covered that of Matthew, giving it a little squeeze. "No need to worry, Casanova. There's nothing wrong with a little flirting to brighten up the day of the marketladies. Especially when it gets you free goodies."

"Huh? You're not mad?"

"I'm not mad," he reassured him. "But if you want to be absolutely sure, feel free to carry my bags the rest of the day."

"Consider it done," he replied immediately.

"Matt, I was joking. Relax," he said, laughing. He leaned back into his chair, and continued enjoying his drink. Finally realizing Johan meant what he said Matthew did relax, and after each ordering two more drinks they got up to leave. When they arrived back home and put away their 'booty' as Johan called it, they entered the kitchen to start dinner. Matthew did indeed get plenty of goodies from the women at the food department of the market, he might as well put it to good use.

* * *

"Now this is a mighty fine chicken, Matt. Interesting choice of herbs." Johan said after taking a bite. It was spicy, but also sweet.

"Thank the ladies for that," he replied with a smile.

"You bet I will. They'll be getting a pic of you in your swimwear. Ouch! I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He ducked away as to not get hit with another piece of bread.

"You'd better be kidding, or there won't be any more opportunities for you to even take those pics," Matt replied, an evil smirk on his face. It got replaced with the victorious version after Johan immediately and profoundly apologized. The rest of their dinner went by relatively normal, and after cleaning everything Johan went to the livingroom to see if there was a good movie on for them to watch. He was joined shortly after on the couch by Matthew. He had Johan's scarf in his hands.

"You left it on the chair in the kitchen," he said, putting the scarf around Johan's neck. His hands lingered a bit on the end of as he fingered the fabric. He had never really paid that much attention to it, but now that he felt it… It was a really soft, but also smooth kind of wool. He couldn't really remember ever feeling a fabric like this. He wondered what kind of animal it was from.

"Huh."

"What is it?"

"I just realized that I've probably never seen you without your scarf. Yet I never really bothered asking about it. Like how did you get it? And what's it made of?"

"Ah. Well, I don't mind telling you. But I need some booze first."

"Oh boy. Stories that need booze aren't particularly pleasant. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Don't worry, Matt. It's actually a really sweet story. I just feel like having a drink," he replied with a smile, ruffling Matt's hair. He walked towards his well-hidden minibar (to make sure the little princesses and certain Prussians/Danes wouldn't drink his personal stash) and came back with a bottle of jenever and two glasses. After filling the glasses and toasting he took a small sip, beginning his story.

"The scarf was a gift from Margot. We were both under control of the Habsburgs back then, and lived with Antonio. But seeing as he was away conquering the world and what not 90% of the time we were pretty much left to our own devices. I mostly did things like working the land, Margot took care of things in the mansion and Romano was just lazing about. We also learned to read, write and speak Spanish, and proper etiquette for when Antonio took us to fancy parties. Because I was usually out until late in the night Margot got worried that I would get cold, so she decided to make a scarf for me. Whenever Antonio came back from a trip she would sneak into the storage room and steal material. It took a while because she wanted to make sure no one would notice anything missing. I came back one night and that's when she gave me the scarf. She said she took some wool and dyed one part blue and one part white. Blue to remind me of the sea, and white for the snow and ice."

"Aww, that's so sweet!"

"It was, before she threatened to tell on me to Antonio about the pranks I pulled on him if I ever left the mansion without it."

"Hahaha, that does sound like Margot alright. So she always was a spirited young woman."

"I blame Romano for that. She was so sweet before she picked up his habits."

"That's not what Arthur and Francis told me," he said with a wink. Johan rolled his eyes at that. "I have been nothing but a perfect, manipulative gentleman with them. Any stories from those two of me doing something rowdy are exaggerated."

"Sure they are. But back to the scarf. It's still the same from back then? She didn't make you a new one?"

"Nope. Because she also threatened to stop making me sweets if I so much as let a speck of dust on the scarf."

"But you were a farmboy, how did she expect you to keep it clean?"

"She didn't. But I was so afraid of losing my sweets that I took really good care of it. I wore it when I left the house, and the second I was out of sight I carefully folded it, wrapped it up in some old, clean sheets and put it in a bag. After work was done I cleaned my hands and wore it when the mansion was in sight. It's not funny, stop laughing."

"Ahahaha! Oh my God, you actually did that? Holy shit! Ahaha!"

"I was young and stupid then. And like I said, I wasn't about to risk losing my sweets."

"What about Antonio finding out about your pranks? You weren't afraid of that?" He said, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

"No, because she participated in half of the pranks anyway."

"Unbelievable."

"Every word I said is true. And now you know the story about my faithful blue and white companion."

"Except for one tiny detail. I still don't know what it's made of. It feels like wool, but it's so ridiculously soft."

"Ah, it took me a while to find out as well. Margot said it was wool, but like you said, it didn't feel like the sheep wool we usually use in Europe. I did a little digging around and found out that it was some kind of wool from llama's. They looked like some weird, hornless goats to me, so I just left it at that. It wasn't until much later after that discovery that I figured out what it really was. You must've figured it out too now, right?"

"I don't believe it. She made you a scarf of vicuña." His eyes were about as big as saucers by now, eyeing the scarf with a newfound interest. Vicuña, the most expensive wool on the planet. That thing must be worth at least three thousand dollars. Maybe even more if it is indeed as old as Johan says it is. He wanted to reach out and touch it again, but decided not to. With his luck he'd probably rip it up or something. Johan noticed his hesitation though, and took the scarf off his neck, putting it around Matt's neck. Matthew immediately froze up.

"Dude, what the hell! I can't be wearing that, what if I-"

"You won't. I trust you."

"But…" His sentence was cut off when Johan leaned in for a kiss.

"But nothing. I trust you, and that's final."

"I… Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," he said, flashing him a bright smile. Matthew smiled back, and leaned in to kiss him again, thanking whatever deity was listening for giving him such a sweet, caring boyfriend.

* * *

**A/N:** I probably could have done this in 500 words or so. But then plotbunnies happened. Sorta.

It always was a headcanon of mine that Mar gave Johan his scarf, just like how he gave her her headband. She could have just used regular wool, but after hearing Toni's stories about the new places he discovered she decided to use some of the fancy stuff found there. And you know the rest. I love those two siblings :D.

Johan is indeed good with his mouth, and not just in the sexy way *insert pervy smirks and what not here anyway*. And Matt is just too cute for his own good, no wonder he got all those numbers.

Hope you enjoyed my take on this prompt. Thanks for reading, and reviews are as always much appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: **Promotion of a certain charity event.

* * *

**Prompt: Music**

"It must be so convenient to live here. Nothing is more than two hours apart." Matthew said, enjoying the view from the train. By now it had been reduced to nothing more than wide green fields with the occasional cow and plenty of creeks, but it was quite the change from the mountains he usually saw whenever he bothered to take the train in Canada. He couldn't believe how wide and open it was here for a country that's known worldwide to be one of the most crowded places on Earth.

"It would be a hell of a lot better if the trains would actually depart on time." Johan replied with a snort. Stupid NS and their inability to have the trains leave on time. He made a mental note to have a nice, long talk with the president of the company about that. Again.

"Oh please, the train was just five minutes late, that's nothing."

"We still wasted five minutes of our precious time, Matt. And you know how I feel about that."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Time is money and all that. You're such a Scrooge."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!" He said, arms crossed as he gave Matthew the evil eye.

"Are too!" Matt retorted, sticking out his tongue at Johan. They would have continued this debate of epic proportions, if it wasn't for the conductor eyeing their childish behavior and shaking his head at their antics as he checked their tickets. They fell silent after that, cheeks red, but the moment the conductor left the two of them burst out laughing. They both apologized and continued making smalltalk for the next thirty minutes, before arriving in Leeuwarden, the capitol city of the province of Friesland.

After waking up this morning and going through their usual routine (Matt trying to get out of bed to make breakfast, Johan not wanting to let go of his living cuddlepillow, Matt tickling him to force him to let go, Johan falling out of bed because of that and trying to get back at him but stopping after Matt threatened to not make his famous pancakes, finally having breakfast, cleaning up, have fun for the rest of the day) Johan stated that he wanted to take Matthew to Leeuwarden for a special occasion. Matthew, only really being familiar with the provinces of North and South Holland, wondered what it could be. And since Johan refused to answer his questions about it his curiosity got worse by the minute. It hit the roof when they arrived at a square, where a few construction workers were putting the final touches on a glass house. The inside was outfitted with a few computers, some mics, and pretty much anything you would need to make a radio show. There was even a small closed off area with a bed in it. He saw the words "3FM Serious Request" and "Let's clean this Shit up!" everywhere.

"Is there a reason why there is a glass DJ booth of sorts on a public square?" He asked Johan, confused. Johan gave him a smile.

"There is. Since 2004 the DJ's of radio 3FM lock themselves up for a week in this glass house without food to ask for awareness and donations for one of the projects of the Red Cross. This year's theme is to prevent child death from diarrhea. People can request songs for money, every day a different Dutch celebrity stays in the house to help, people around the country also do their best to raise as much money as they can, and the day before Christmas a cheque with the total amount of donations gets handed over to the Red Cross."

"Really? Wow, that's absolutely amazing! Are we here to help? I want to help!" Matthew said, bouncing up and down.

"I was hoping you would say that. Since the 2005 edition I decided to help out too, so every year I come here before it all starts to give them a donation of my own. You know, so they have a good start."

"That's a really sweet gesture of you, Johan. I take calling you a Scrooge back."

"It's very much appreciated, haha. I haven't really decided on what song I want to request, though."

"Don't worry, we'll think of something. And I'm donating too."

"Thank you, Matt. We need all the help we can get. Last years record is going down!"

* * *

**A/N:** Much respect to the 3FM crew. And also to the countries that adopted the Serious Request method (Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea and Kenya). Thanks to their efforts countless people have been helped, and what's even better: it brings people together and makes them so willing to give! The amount raised each year is always higher than the year before. Not bad for a people which are known worldwide to be a bunch of greedy, cheapass bastards, right :P. Last year they managed to raise about 12 million Euros, but I have faith that the record will be broken this year too. Now let's hope that I didn't jinx it *knocks on wood*.

I also have this headcanon that Johan supports this cause, not just because they make a difference, but because he secretly hates hearing nothing but Christmas songs during this time of year on regular radio. So he listens 3FM and hears pretty much anything but said Christmas songs ;).

Hope you enjoyed reading this, and as always, reviews are appreciated. Thank you :D.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warnings: **Matt feeling a little jealous about the relationship Johan has with his siblings, while also feeling somewhat ashamed that he resents his own sibling. Henri is Luxembourg.

* * *

**Prompt: Family**

"Gotta pee gotta pee gotta pee son of a bitch where is that damn key?!"

Johan was trying to get his housekeys from his pockets, but because he was dancing around so much he kept on grabbing anything but his keys. Phone, wallet, licorice, cigarettes, lipgloss. Wait, what? How the hell did that get in there? Oh, right. He had let Mar wear his jacket when she forgot hers. He should probably give it back to her the next time he sees her. And for crying out loud, where are those stupid keys?!

"You do realize your search would go a lot smoother if you'd stop that fancy dancing, right?" Matt said, grabbing his own key and opening the door. Johan just gave him his trademark 'don't be a smartass, smartass' look, before rushing inside, kicking off his shoes and throwing his jacket to the side as he made his way to the bathroom.

Matthew couldn't help but laugh a little as he went inside himself. He picked up Johan's shoes and put them in the shoe case, next to his own. After hanging away both their jackets he wanted to go into the living room when he noticed Johan's wallet on the floor. It must have fallen out of his jacket when he threw it aside. When he picked it up a photo fell out of it. It was an old picture of Johan and his siblings, covered in mud and sporting the biggest smiles he had ever seen on the three of them. And unless he was seeing things Henri was actually holding a piglet in his arms.

He decided to take a closer look. Judging from the surroundings they were probably on a festival of some sort. People in the background were walking by with glasses and bottles of beer, he saw plenty of biker dudes and –babes of all ages, and a few long-haired men with guitars strapped to their backs. The siblings themselves were wearing slightly ripped jeans, t-shirts with colorful prints, sleeveless vests and combat boots. Johan and Margot were standing on either side of Henri, one arm wrapped around his shoulders while their free hand was making the peace sign. They looked like they had the time of their lives. A remorseful smile escaped him. _'If only I had photos like this.' _

"Oh man, that was the greatest piss I ever took!" Johan said in an extremely relieved tone, shaking Matthew out of his daze. He walked over towards Matthew and hugged him from behind, letting his chin rest on the top of his head.

"Those hands had better be clean, mister."

"You're free to check if you want, haha. Found anything interesting in my wallet?"

"You're not mad that I snooped?"

"I have nothing to hide from you or anyone else. But I would appreciate it if you asked next time," he said, planting a small kiss behind Matt's ear. He reached out a hand and took the photo, smiling as he remembered that day. How he and Mar had dragged a reluctant Henri with them to an outdoor motocross festival, they all dressed up accordingly, drank beer, enjoyed the music, drank more beer, enjoyed the spiffy motorbikes, drank even more beer and then Henri of all people suggested they enter the pig catching contest, which he surprisingly won. Sure, they had to walk around with mud in places they'd rather not discuss, but dammit if that wasn't one of the most fun days they ever had. He made a mental note to plan another visit to a festival for their next siblingweekend. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Matthew let out a sigh.

"You okay, Matt? Why the deep sigh?"

"Would you think any less of me if I told you that I'm jealous of the relationship you have with your siblings?"

"Seeing as how our relationship was the basis for the foundation of the EU, I'd say no, haha. Are you thinking about how you and Al operate?"

"It's just that whenever I see the three of you interact I just… I don't know. I really do get jealous. You bicker and fight and tease, but you always have each other's backs and do these sweet little things for each other. I know that Margot always brings you guys snacks during meetings, Henri always supports you guys and you make sure no one messes with them. And then I look at that sorry excuse for a brother I got stuck with and I just… urgh!" He removed himself from Johan and made his way to the living room, dropping himself on the couch and grabbing a pillow, holding it close to his chest. Johan joined him shortly after, putting an arm around Matt and pulling him close.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk like that about him, but he just pisses me off so much sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Johan asked, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Okay, 70% of the time. But he's still my brother, and I shouldn't badmouth him behind his back. I just wish he would be more thoughtful and show a little more interest in me."

"Have you told him that?"

"Every time we meet I try to. But whenever I open my mouth he does so too, and then I can't get another word in. And that one time I did get to vent my frustrations he burst into tears and then I felt bad. And I doubt anything I said even stayed with him because the next time we met he acted like he always does." A frustrated sigh escaped him as he put his hands in his hair.

"I know it isn't easy, Matt. But I believe that in his own, special way Al is really trying. I mean, you're always so excited whenever you tell me about the times you face him on the ice."

"Because I get to kick his sorry ass."

"But you guys still have fun, and drink a beer afterwards, right?"

"I suppose. It would be nicer if we get to hang out outside the rink. I'd like to feel something besides the urge to brutally destroy him every time we meet, you know?"

"Maybe that's his way of hanging out with you more. From what I understand you don't really share much interests, but you both love ice hockey."

"You think so?"

"I do." A small smile escaped Matthew. Alfred does suggest they hang out in the rink a lot. Maybe it really is his way of spending more quality time together. He'll go a little bit easier on him the next time they play.

Ha! As if. Thank Yankee is going down!

Johan was glad Matthews spirits were lifted, but he wasn't quite sure if he should like that evil smirk or not. Especially when that smirk grew wider and he started rubbing his hands together like your typical evil overlord in a cheesy movie. Oh well, this was Matthew after all, he'd probably get back to his usual self soon. He decided to make some pancakes with extra maple syrup just in case anyway.

* * *

**A/N:** Family, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Matt and Al have a complicated relationship with a lot of resentment from Matt's side and a lot of obliviousness from Al's side, but I like to think that Al really is trying in his own way. They make it work in the end somehow. And when Europe saw how good the relation and co-operation between the Benelux was they wanted the rest of Europe to follow that example. Thus the EU began, sort of.

I also have this headcanon that the Benelux siblings get together one weekend a month and have a little family bonding and do fun stuff. Like attending festivals and catching pigs :D.

Hope you had fun reading and reviews are as always very much appreciated. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Two chapters in a day, holy crap! I got inspired, what can I say.

**Warning: **A short story about the three words Johan wants to hear more than anything else. Italics mean they're speaking in Frisian.

* * *

**Prompt: Skating**

It happened during the last meeting of the year. Ludwig called everyone together to discuss everything one more time, before they'd part ways until next year. As usual, things were going nowhere, leaving Ludwig to wonder why on earth he kept bothering every year. Damn his stupid need to follow protocol.

Unfortunately for Johan these stupid 'last year meetings' were mandatory, but seeing as how he was a pretty smart guy he brought a pair of earplugs with him, took his usual place (the one farthest removed from Arthur, Francis and Alfred) at the long table and tried to get some work done on his own. He was joined shortly after by Matthew who did the same thing. After giving each other a knowing smile they continued their business, and when they were done they kept each other entertained by playing a couple rounds of competitive Tetris over their smart phones.

They were having a blast, and because they still had their plugs in neither of them noticed when the door to their conference room was opened by two elderly men. They noticed immediately that Ludwig was the one running things, and walked over to him to ask if Johan was here. Ludwig, a little confused about this sudden intrusion, pointed them in the right direction, and after giving him a quick thanks they made their way over to where Johan and Matt were sitting. They apologized to Matthew before carefully shoving his seat (with him still on it) to the side and they each pulled one plug out of Johan's ears, causing him to fall out of his chair in shock.

"Argh! What the hell, man? What was that good fo-oh my God. _Has it finally happened?_" He immediately stood up and put his hands on the shoulders of the men, staring intently at them. They put their own hands on top of his before replying.

"_Johannes my boy,"_ one of them began.

"_Yes?!"_

"_It giet oan."_ The other finished. Johan stood silent for a moment after that statement, letting that new info sink in.

"_You're absolutely sure."_ He asked, a grin starting to form on his lips.

"_Do we look like the joking type, you jackass?"_ They replied, unable to hide their own huge grins.

What had happened next had to be seen to be believed. Johan and the two men were jumping in circles while chanting (more like shouting) 'It giet oan!' for a while before Matthew decided to ask what on earth was going on. But the moment he came closer the three men pulled him into their circle, forcing him to dance along with them.

"Uhm, Johan? Not that I don't love engaging in a little dance, but what did they just tell you?"

"The best news they could have ever told me! It's finally happening!"

"What is?"

"The Eleven Cities Tour!"

The dancing finally stopped, and after giving the men a final bearhug while thanking them for informing him first the men made their way out to tell the rest of the country the good news as well. By now the rest of the room had surrounded Johan and Matthew, also wanting to know what the hell just happened. Johan quickly filled them in.

"Hold on a sec. You're getting this excited about a plain old skating contest? They way you were acting I thought they told you they finally figured out how to make gold from thin air." Alfred said, still trying to process the sight of that six foot giant jumping around like a little kid.

"Plain old skating contest?" he said, insulted. "For your information, it happens to be the world's largest speed skating event! An epic 200 kilometers of skating on frozen canals, rivers and lakes that link eleven historic Frisian cities! People standing on the sides cheering you on! Koek en zopie stands! It's a rare occurrence that grips the entire nation!"

"Alright, alright, keep your pants on! Sheesh, I forgot how much more of a nutjob you get when skating is involved."

"I'll forgive you because I'm in such a good mood. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get my skates." And with that he rushed out of the conference room, that huge grin still on his face. He came back almost immediately, running towards Matthew and giving him a nice, long, deep kiss. After breaking the kiss he looked at a flushed Matthew. "What was that about?" He asked, trying to will his blush away.

"An apology in advance, you won't be seeing much of me for the next three days. But I'll make it up to you afterwards, okay?"

"I, uh, sure. Okay."

"You're the best, Matt. Thank you." He said, giving him another quick peck on his lips before leaving the room again. Matthew couldn't help but smile as he walked back to his seat, ignoring the stares he was getting from the others. He sat down and looked at Ludwig giving him a nod. Ludwig got the hint and asked everyone to get back to their own seats as well so they could finish. Soon enough they got back to their usual conference antics, leaving Matthew alone with his thoughts. He may be more of a hockey player than a speed skater, but he wasn't about to let this rare opportunity of participating in the world's largest speed skating event pass him by. And the fact that he got to continue seeing Johan during it all made it that much better.

Another smile escaped him. It's decided then. He'll also participate and share this special moment with him.

* * *

**A/N:** Every winter when it gets below zero for a couple of days the entire nations get this 'Elfstedenkoorts' or eleven city fever. It's kinda like Orange fever (you know, during Queensday and the big football tournaments :D). It almost happened last year, people were really excited and happy, and the next day they were told it wasn't happening and then everyone was upset. It was a sad day.

The two men were the icemaster (he checks the thickness of the ice, it needs to bet at least 15 cm) and a district manager. When they approve of the conditions the tour starts within 48 hours. 'It giet oan' is Frisian for 'It's happening'. As usual, more details on Wikipedia because I'm a lazy bum that can't be bothered.

Hope you had fun, and reviews are appreciated. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Final prompt, yay! It has been a fun ride, and I learned that I _am_ capable of updating more than once a year if I put my mind to it! My New Year's resolution is therefore that I shall try to update at least once a month from now on.

**Warnings:** Italics means they're speaking in Dutch. I'm also taking a few liberties with how the actual New Years Dip goes for the sake of the story.

* * *

**Prompt: New Year**

Out of all the stupid things he has ever agreed to do, this has absolutely be the stupidest. What the fuck is wrong with him?! Why can't he just say no?! He looked to the side and saw his answer. Stupid Johan with his stupid traditions he wanted to share with him.

"Matt, I'm so glad to have you with me for this. This is going to be the best New Years Eve ever!" He said as he squeezed Matt's hand. He had such a sincere, happy smile on his face, and the way his sea green eyes were lighting up in excitement… How could anyone say no to that? A small, defeated sigh escaped him.

"No problem, Johan. You know I'm always up for trying out new experiences. Even when they are a little bit on the, uhm, extreme side."

"You call this extreme?" he said, trying to keep his laughter in check. "You pretty much walk around in your underwear during winter!"

"Compared to what I usually do on New Year's Eve, yes. This is pretty extreme. And walking in your underwear during winter is a hell of a lot saner compared to what we're about to do!" He huffed, crossing his arms.

The two of them were on the beach in Scheveningen, together with about 10.000 other people. Normally there wouldn't be anything weird about that, but all these people were there in their swimwear. That's right. Every single one of the approximately 10.000 people were at the beach, on New Year's Eve, in their swimwear. At least they bothered to wear a woolen hat and a pair of gloves. Matthew couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose as he shook his head in disbelief again. Was he seriously going to go through with this? He looked up and saw Johan's grinning face as he put on a hat of his own on his head before doing the same with Matthew, caressing his face afterwards. He felt the blood rush to his face. Yup, he was definitely going through with this. Dammit. He turned his head when he heard someone yell something through a megaphone.

"_Alrighty, everyone, we're good to go in thirty seconds! Get ready!"_

"What did he say?"

"It's about to go down, let's go," Johan replied, grabbing Matthew by the hand and walking a bit closer towards the sea. He heard people counting down around him. Crap, it was really happening. If he made a dash now, could he still get away?

"_10!"_

As if Johan knew what he was thinking, he gave Matt's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"_9!"_

Matt looked up to him, seeing that the smile was still on his face.

"_8!"_

Matthew swallowed.

"_7!"_

Johan winked at him.

"_6!"_

Matthew mentally slapped himself. If all these people could do it, so could he.

"_5!"_

He squeezed back.

"_4!"_

Johan saw that Matt finally made up his mind.

"_3!"_

They both looked towards the sea.

"_2!"_

They got ready to run.

"_1!"_

They ran towards the sea, jumping in it, followed by the rest of the people.

* * *

OHMYFUCKINGGODIT'SSOCOLDWHATTHEFUCKINGHELLWASITHINKINGARGHMYBODY

Matthew almost immediately rose up from the sea, arms wrapped closely around his body. He looked around to see if Johan was anywhere, when he felt another pair of arms around him.

"You and your people are the most insane inhabitants of this planet!" He shouted as he turned around and put his arms around Johan, trying to get warmer. Johan just laughed as he hugged back and started walking out of the sea, taking Matthew with him.

"What would that make you then?"

"An equally insane idiot for actually going through with it," he replied as he grabbed a towel or two and wrapped it around him. Slowly but surely the feeling came back into his limbs. He usually didn't mind the cold, but this was just too much. And they did this every year? And with so many people? He just couldn't wrap his head around it. They had to be insane, there was no other explanation. He took a look around and saw Johan chatting with a few other people. Everyone else was wrapped in a towel or already dressing up, but he was still only in his trunks. Matthew shook his head as he walked towards them and threw one of his own towels over him.

"Are you trying to get sick or what?"

"Anything to get me out of that meeting next week, haha."

"Nice try buddy, but if I'm going, then so are you."

"Sir, yes sir!"

They continued their conversations with the other people present, and watched the fireworks that the people from the organization let loose upon the skies, welcoming a new year. And when Johan took a hold of Matt's face and pulled him close to kiss him he decided that starting the new year with a splash wasn't such a bad way after all.

* * *

**A/N:** The actual New Years Dip is held on every January 1st, and is a proud Dutch tradition since the 1960's. When looking up info I found out that they actually do it in Canada too, but with way less people (only 2000 against the 40.000 in the Netherlands). So for the sake of the story, Matt never did it Canada because he doesn't know it even existed. Okay? Okay. :P.

Hope you enjoyed reading my take on the prompts as much as I liked writing it. May you all have a wonderful new year, cheers!


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